4. Michael Carruth (Ireland) vs Juan Hernandez Sierra (Cuba) – Barcelona 1992

CARRUTH’s 13-10 win came in a messy scrap but his noisy fans didn’t care. It was the occasion and its significance that mattered.

The Dublin southpaw was Ireland’s first Olympic boxing champion and the country’s first Olympic gold medallist in any sport since 1956, when Ronnie Delaney won the 1500m on the track.

Carruth boxed in the Seoul 1988 Olympics at lightweight where he won a contest before being eliminated by Sweden’s George Scott.

3. Rudi Fink (East Germany) vs Adolfo Horta (Cuba) – Moscow 1980

BRILLIANT Cuban Horta won the Worlds three times (at as many different weights). but never managed Olympic gold. Fink is the reason why.

The stocky East German suffered a horrendous first, when Horta battered him and left his nose bleeding. but turned it around with textbook boxing to win a 4-1 majority.

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